Jailed Venezuelan politician Leopoldo Lopez 'strong and focused'

The wife of Leopoldo Lopez, leader of the opposition Popular Will party, tells Philip
Sherwell how her husband remains defiant despite being held in solitary
confinement in a military prison

6:51PM BST 05 Apr 2014

Lilian Tintori used to be a television presenter and kitesurfing champion. Now she is the most staunch defender of her husband Leopoldo Lopez, leader of Venezuela's opposition Popular Will Party.

A Harvard-educated economist, Mr Lopez is currently languishing in a military jail after surrending to the country's security forces in February. He was formally charged with inciting violence, arson and damage to property on Friday. Before that, he had been at the forefront of widepsread protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, political heir to the late Hugo Chavez.

"He is strong, he is focused and very clear about the things that are happening in Venezuela right now," Ms Tintori told The Telegraph's Philip Sherwell.

She denied claims by supporters of President Maduro that Mr Lopez was responsible for terrorism and deaths in the protests which have rocked the oil-rich country for the last two months. At least 39 people have died in the violence.

"Leopoldo is a good person, is a good father, is a good husband. He is a good son. Leopoldo is a person that loves Venezuela. Leopoldo only wants to have a better country for all the Venezuelans," she said.